October 11, 2005

• In the face of opposition from countries such as China, Iran and Brazil, and several African nations, the US is now isolated ahead of November's UN summit. The row threatens to overshadow talks on other issues such bringing more people online and tackling spam e-mail. Any African nations in particular?
• Is, like, some kind of metaphore?
• I'd agree that the group making decisions about these things should be international, but can we keep the politicians out? China and Iran don't make me any more comfortable than Bush & Co...
• I wish we had the internet in my country. What's it like?
• It's like a big pile of kittens.
• ...China, Iran and Brazil, and several African nations... funny, those are all netblocks that i happen to have firewalled at the router... i sure hope i'm not missing out on anything good!
• I think our American Overlords should line up and blow me. I've heard they're also making a move on the alphabet and picking a number between one and ten which they will lock in a vault.
• Oh, this is only DNS issues. Storm in a teacup.
• Well then let's just hope they don't chuck a fruity, pick up their ball and go home...
• We'll just set up DNS servers elsewhere and route around North America. Commerce will stop 'em from any ideological nonsense pretty quick sharp. Anyway, as the Poms say "cheer up, it'll never 'appen."
• He's right. We do say that.
• any ideological nonsense Isn't the US responsible for a lot of this ideological nonsense? We're not exactly well-known for our love of working with other nations.. I personally think it would be fascinating to see other internets. Hey! Maybe Bush was just being prescient in that speech he gave..
• He might have been, but he couldn't pronounce it.
• Now is the time for me to get my distributed DNS idea working. No root servers! Of course, there will be name collisions, but that will just make the Internet more fun.
• China and Iran don't make me any more comfortable than Bush & Co... Oh Snap! You SO got indicted!!
• Crap if I'm surfing America's internet then am I being charged for long distance?
• Remember that as Chyren said, we're only talking about DNS root servers. And while I think a de facto American monopoly on the DNS root isn't ideal, unless and until the fundies really seek to take control over the system and start censoring our favorite sites like porn.monkeyfilter.com, this is really a tempest in a teacup, and an argument more over symbolism than any real control over the "internet." Furthermore, it's not like any of these other countries that are protesting can't set up their own DNS root system. Manifest problems would arise, for sure, not the least of which would be DNS synchronization and some fragmentation of the name lookup system, but it's not like this couldn't happen now anyway. I also don't have a profound problem with the UN being involved, in principle, but there are plenty of honest to goodness fundamentalist and thought-censoring nations out there who shouldn't be let near the DNS root system, and a UN mandate will virtually guarantee that the likes of Saudi Arabia, or Sudan, or Turkmenistan would get their grubby mitts all over our (mostly) unrestricted internet.
• porn.monkeyfilter.com could not be found. Please check the name and try again.
• They're already onto us, pete!
• ...this is really a tempest in a teacup, and an argument more over symbolism... God knows getting into an argument over symbolism with the United States of Amnesia is hardly cause for concern. Allahu Akbar! ...but there are plenty of honest to goodness fundamentalist and thought-censoring nations out there who shouldn't be let near the DNS root system... Wake up and smell the frog water.
• I don't quarrel with your points, moneyjane, but I think that, though the US is on that trajectory, we're a long way from being able to draw equivalence between the US and Saudi Arabia, regardless of what Pat Robertson may want.
• Maybe. But four years ago we were a long way from here.
• Oooh, good metaphor moneyjane! I'm going to use that.
• It's not a bad metaphor, but like all metaphors, it breaks down. And for one simple reason: the frog has been screaming for the flame to be turned up for the last few years and even re-elected the Cook. Not that me and mine aren't keeping options open and making contingency plans... generally involving places where coalition governments often have to form, decreasing the viability of extremism on either "left" or "right."
• You're invited to Canada anytime! Bring hockey sticks and Moose Snax...we've got more of a cage match tag team system here rather than a burgeoning theocracy.
• We barely have enough points for Canada; neither of us speak much/any French. But that can be remedied. I'm also keeping a tally in my head of which other nations we have enough points for.
• If speaking French is a requirement, then the West Coast should be receiving deportation notices any day now.
• .
• Besides, frog is better breaded or battered and deep-fried. Serve with rice, maybe some baby carrots.
• It's not a requirement, but you get extra points on the immigration assessment for varying levels of reading, writing, and speaking proficiency. I rate basic on reading (very, very basic), and a big goose egg on writing and speaking.